This painting of a young Kenyan woman was sold to raise funds for a charity assisting people in Kenya, Bolivia, and Nepal. The lock on the window is a symbol of the potential of each individual that can be unlocked if given the opportunity. But such personal opportunities require a stable and civil society, a commodity that seems to becoming rarer as time passes. An individual’s need for stability and freedom from violence is true whether one lives in Kenya or in Kansas. The poem below was written after the Watts riots in 1965. Unfortunately, it seemed just as appropriate for the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and also for the current disturbances elsewhere in this world.
Watts Riots
By Al Vester
A land of great promise rocks to and fro
As hate and dissension hold daily convention
In every back alley and ghetto hole
Where hollow cries of freedom and life
Commence each round of hatred and strife
They claim injustice has raised their ire
The real desire is murder and fire
Never while they shout, “Burn baby, burn!”
Will they every come to know or possibly learn
The dignity is not an opinion to turn
But the product of goals that are honorably earned.
Violence vs. Civility
Violence seems to have become one of the standard responses for expressing anger or frustration by many people. Violence floods the daily news stories. One example includes the news that over 500 individuals just in the city Chicago have been murdered so far this year. Some were killed for so trivial a thing as wearing a color of clothing that was perceived as belonging to a rival gang. Another example from Pakistan is that of a young woman, who was savagely beaten to death, because someone passed a rumor that she had burned a Quran, and no one paused long enough to gather any real facts. Where is justice, or mercy, or respect for other individuals in such acts? Every person that dies by the violent act of another has lost the opportunities of a fulfilling life and a chance to contribute to the rest of humanity. There is not a person on this planet whether black, white, brown, or any other shade of skin that does not deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.
Violence also fills the entertainment industry with battles by both real and animated characters. Violence blares from rap music and news stories. Such entertainment may make money for the media owners, but their message undermines the moral and civil messages of patience, kindness, and fairness to all, of which our rising generations so desperately needs to hear. Also, when a cowardly terrorist group attacks innocent people, they are rewarded by press coverage that is proportional to the violence of their act. The greater the atrocity, the more press coverage they seem to receive. Why is this? So that the news show’s ratings will improve and they will gain more advertising revenue—that seems to be the heartless but the logical answer.
What then can we do? One way would be to give better press to those who are doing the right things. During the 1992 Watts riots, a white truck driver, named Reginald Denny, was dragged from his truck and beaten. But, two black men, who lived nearby, saw the live report on television and separately rushed to the scene. One of the men, Curtis Yarbrough, put Denny into his car and drove him to a hospital. The other, Bobby Green, drove Denny’s truck back to the company lot where it would be safe.¹ Their heroic actions saved Denny’s life and showed that, even in times of turmoil, individuals can reach out a helping hand to those in distress. Such men are true brothers in the great family of mankind. The report of their actions should have received front page attention as worthy examples of what good, civilized men can do.
But even if the news does not often report such selfless acts, those who seek to lift and help another are themselves lifted and blessed by the service that they render to others. Service and civility bring opportunities for growth as opposed to violence, which takes them away.
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- REGINALD DENNY”.The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King. TIME. April 27, 2007.
